1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to making user interfaces more user friendly by providing visual indicators that clarify a user's selection; and more specifically to providing a graphical user interface for specifying (e.g., selecting) one of many print layout combinations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, documents (including books, manuscripts, etc.) are printed out from files stored in a computer system. Such documents may be created using a word processing program, or pre-existing hard copy documents may be scanned and digitized and then stored in a computer system. Computerized documents contain logical pages, i.e., nonphysical representations of actual physical pages. There can be several different options for a user to lay out the logical pages of a document (documents) for printing on physical sheets of paper. For example, there may be two pages side by side on the same sheet of paper. This is referred to as "2-Up". It should be noted that a sheet of paper may also have various dimensions. For example, a sheet having the dimensions of 17.times.11 inches can accommodate two 81/2.times.11 pages having a "2-Up" layout. Other sized sheets may accommodate a "4-Up" layout where 4 logical pages are printed on the same side of a sheet of paper. Users can specify any number of page images as being "up", e.g., 1-Up, 2-Up, 3-Up or 4-Up, depending upon the size of the logical pages and the size of the physical sheet of paper.
In addition to specifying the number of pages up, e.g., a "2-Up" layout, a user could further specify the mode such as simplex, duplex, or tumble. This is also referred to as specifying "sides". Simplex mode prints all of the logical pages on one side of the physical sheet of paper. Duplex and tumble modes print on both sides of the physical sheet of paper. In duplex mode, for example, page 1 would be on one side of the physical sheet, while page 2 would be on the opposite side of the sheet directly opposite page 1. In addition, in duplex mode, the top of page 1 is the same edge of the physical sheet of paper as the top of page 2. Tumble mode is similar to duplex mode in the sense that the logical pages are printed on both sides of the physical sheet. However, in tumble mode, the top of logical page 1, when printed on the physical sheet of paper, has an edge of the physical sheet that is at the bottom of logical page 2 that is printed on the back side of page 1. In other words, simplex prints just on the one side of the physical sheet, duplex turns left to right to print on both sides, and tumble turns top to bottom to print on both sides of the physical sheet of paper.
For example, a user could specify whether page 1 and page 2 should be facing up next to each other as in a simplex printing mode, or whether page 1 and page 3 should be facing up next to each other as in a duplex printing mode having page 2 on the back of page 1 and page 4 on the back of page 3. If front and back sides were to be oriented in the same direction, duplex mode would be specified; if front and back sides were to have upside down orientations to each other, tumble mode would be specified.
In addition, a user can specify an output format. For example, one format may have side-by-side copies. That is, copies of page 1 would be printed side by side each other. If the number up is specified as 2, then two images of page 1 would be printed side by side each other. If the number up is specified as 3, then three images (or copies) of page 1 would be printed side by side each other. The sheet can then be slit so that there are multiple copies (equal to the number up) coming out of the printer per sheet at a time. This output mode is referred to as "Side by Side". Another format, referred to as "Slit and Merge", prints the pages next to each other in such a way so that the sheet (web) can be cut (slit) in half and the left side placed over the top of the right side. Another format has the first and last pages on the same sheet, and the second and second to the last pages duplexed on the back of the same sheet, etc. This allows one to staple the sheets together like a book or magazine. This is referred to as "Booklet" output format. Another option allows no adjustment at all, referred to as "Simple".
The above discussion attempted to describe some of the various combinations that are possible in laying out logical pages on a physical sheet of paper. For example, the combinations include the number up (e.g., 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-Up), mode or sides ("Simplex", "Duplex", "Tumble") and output format ("Side by Side", "Slit and Merge", "Booklet", or "Simple"). Sometimes it becomes too difficult for a user to readily visualize how a specified combination would actually appear on a sheet of paper. The difficulty is made worse by the number of different combinations that are possible. In addition, certain words were used, such as "simplex", "duplex", and "tumble", etc., to describe a more lengthy visual description. However, these specific words are not necessarily used or understood by all users.
In creating a user interface for specifying page layout combinations, a problem arises if a term is used that is not immediately understood by a user, or if a user is required to learn what the term means. Even then, if all of the terms were understood, the number of various combinations makes it difficult to immediately visualize how a specified page layout combination would actually appear on the printed sheet. Thus, a problem arises when a user is required to specify a page layout combination. Many times it is not clear to the user how the various choices for a page layout will visually appear on the printed sheet.
One approach that enables a user to visually view the page layout involves "RIP'ing" (Raster Image Processing) the file, i.e., creating the bits of the contents of the document so that one can actually see each page and the associated page numbers, etc. This would create a preview or picture on the display screen of what the user intends to print. The output can then be verified by the user that the output layout is as the user wants. However, this approach may not be practical in some circumstances as it may consume significant processing time.